Washington: The overall number of global COVID-19 cases has increased to more than 11.7 million, while the deaths have soared to over 543,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
On Wednesday morning, the total number of cases stood at 11,798,678 while the fatalities rose to 543,535, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
The US accounted for the world's highest number of infections and fatalities with 2,993,759 and 131,455, respectively, according to the CSSE.
Brazil came in second place with 1,668,589 infections and 66,741 deaths.
In terms of COVID-19 cases, India ranks third (719,665), and is followed by Russia (693,215), Peru (309,278), Chile (301,019), the UK (287,874), Mexico (268,008), Spain (252,130), Iran (245,688), Italy (241,956), Pakistan (234,509), Saudi Arabia (217,108), South Africa (215,855), Turkey (207,897), France (206,072), Germany (198,343), Bangladesh (168,645), Colombia (120,281), Canada (108,023) and Qatar (100,945), the CSSE figures showed.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (44,476), Italy (34,899), Mexico (32,014), France (29,936), Spain (28,392), India (20,160), Iran (11,931), Peru (10,952) and Russia (10,478).
Chinese mainland reports 7 new imported Covid-19 cases
In China, Twenty Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.
There were 390 patients still being treated, including six in severe conditions, the commission said in its daily report, Xinhua reported.
Altogether, 78,548 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Tuesday, the report said.
As of Tuesday, a total of 83,572 confirmed Covid-19 cases had been reported on the mainland, among whom 4,634 died of the disease.
Researchers identify compounds that halt Covid-19 virus replication
In a fight against Covid-19 pandemic, the researchers have found several existing compounds that block replication of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) within human cells grown in the laboratory.
According to the study, published in the journal Cell Research, the inhibitors all demonstrated potent chemical and structural interactions with a viral protein critical to the virus's ability to proliferate.
"With a rapidly emerging infectious disease like Covid-19, we don't have time to develop new antiviral drugs from scratch," said study researcher Yu Chen from the University of South Florida in the US.
"A lot of good drug candidates are already out there as a starting point. But, with new information from studies like ours and current technology, we can help design even better (repurposed) drugs much faster," Chen added.
The most promising drug candidates - including the USFDA-approved hepatitis C medication boceprevir and an investigational veterinary antiviral drug known as GC-376 - target the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro).
Mpro is an enzyme that cuts out proteins form a long strand that the virus produces when it invades a human cell.
Since people do not have the enzyme, drugs targeting this protein are less likely to cause side effects, they explained.
(IANS)
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